It is three days after your birthday, but in typical busy-mom fashion, I am only finding the time to write this journal entry to you now - I apologize. But it has given me some more time to reflect on that wondrous milestone - the first birthday! I have to admit, I was very sad leading up to your first birthday. With Mercedes, I was just excited - it's so much fun to watch your babies growing up! When Alexis turned one, I was already pregnant with you, so I knew I was going to get to experience that magical first year all over again. But you... my lovely, sweet little boy. You, are my final baby. I love the newborn/infant stage anyway, but experiencing it all again for a third (and final) time, with the bonus of an exceptionally darling baby... it has been an amazing year. Stressful, I won't lie - I've been home full-time with you and Lexi for an entire year now, which hasn't been easy of course. And Mercedes started school in September, leaving all drop-offs and pick-ups my responsibility, with my two sidekicks in tow. But no matter how exhausted I am, or how many times I may lose my patience, or how frustrated I get... all I need to do is look in your beautiful eyes to realize how amazing this life I lead is.
All babies are wonderful. That is the inherent magic, the innate goodness, of babies. But everyone who meets you (aka, more than just your extremely biased family) knows there is something extra special about you. I truly believe you are an old, gentle soul. Sweet and happy and easy-going and social and interactive and smiley, smiley, smiley. I can't get enough of your sweet face and snuggly hugs. When you smile at me with your gap-toothed grin, I literally melt inside. I well up in tears frequently just looking at you (or, thinking about you, talking about you, writing about you...). I feel thankful EVERY, SINGLE day that you found your way to our family. It is no secret to anyone (and won't be kept a secret from you in the future either - I believe in honesty and transparency in a family) that you were not planned. A welcome, wonderful surprise, but a surprise nonetheless. In the early days of my pregnancy with you, your father and I fretted a bit - about money and logistics and my career and our exhaustion levels. Trivial stuff, when it comes down to it, because I knew, right from that first moment, that I loved you beyond measure and that you were meant to be.
I wrote in your birth story, an entire year ago, that you were everything that we never knew we always wanted. And that still holds true. I marvel at the fact that we ever thought our family was complete. You were clearly MEANT to be with us. (In fact, I often joke that Lexi knew first, since she was obviously born to be a middle child!)
I can't wait to see what your future holds - I know it will be bright and lovely and happy. You will do great things, of that I am sure. I love you so much; thank you for enriching our lives with your pure beauty. We are all better people for it.
Love,
Mama
.
P.S. As of now you have 7 teeth (#7 cut on your birthday!) and say Mama and Dada. You crawl everywhere, and pull yourself to stand, but no walking yet. You clap and wave and blow kisses and shake your head no and respond to your name and love to flip the pages while I read you bedtime stories. You are obsessed with all the toys your sisters play with, and you love following them around and grinning when I catch you reaching for something you shouldn't have. As soon as the pantry cupboard opens, you magically appear to pull cereal boxes off the shelf. You are thrilled when Duke or Rusty walk by, and love giving them 'attention'. You get so excited when someone talks or smiles at you, that your whole body quivers with excitement and you bury your head in my shoulder (and bite my collarbone or my upper arm, ouch!).
